The operational definition of tone, according to www.wikipedia.com, is:
"Authors set a tone or mood in literature by conveying an emotion/feeling or emotions/feelings through words."
The tone of the novel is not constant. In the past, at Sweet Home while Mr. Garner is alive, the tone is pleasant and happy, with Sethe and Halle marrying and Mr. Garner giving the slaves freedom to do almost whatever they want to do. Then, when Mr. Garner dies and Schoolteacher takes over the farm, the tone changes to brutal and horrifying with whipping of slaves and punishing them by forcing them to wear bits. This makes the reader feel sympathetic towards the slaves, because the farm went from satisfying and social to inhumane and heartless.
In the present, the setting has changed from Sweet Home to Bluestone Road 124, therefore the tone also changes. The tone is now depressing, dark, mystical, and it gives off a very somber atmosphere. This is because the sad ghost is haunting the house and Sethe keeps going back to the past, from which she has depressing memories, such as the boys stealing her milk and she and Halle were separated. The changes for a short period of time after Paul D. drove out the ghost. At this point in time, the tone is happy and carefree. This is when they go to the carnival and their shadows were holding hands. However, when they return from the carnival and finds Beloved sitting on their porch, the tone immediately changes back to being eerie. The reason why the tone changes, is because of the description the reader is given of Beloved. She is described as "Sopping wet and breathing shallow she spent those hours trying to negotiate the weight of her eyelids... Nobody saw her emerge or came accidentally by."
This tone continues as the story develops. There is a continuous mysterious aura about Beloved - as if we cannot figure her out. Her peculiar appearance (her baby smooth skin) and childish behaviour is confusing. There is something dark about Beloved as we soon suspect her of strangling Sethe in the Clearing. She also affects the other characters around her in a peculiar way. For example, she seduces Paul D and Denver is taken into this beautiful girl yet is often jealous of her.
The tone intensifies as we approach the climax - when the community gathered outside 124 to help Sethe from Beloved. The confusion (due to speculation of the identity of Beloved) and excitement of the community adds on to the suspense. the chapter abruptly ends when Sethe attacks Mr Bodwin with an ice-pick.
The tone changes just as suddenly as the previous chapter ended. The tone is now quiet, calmer, sad and hopeful. Beloved has vanished, thus discarding the mysterious tone she brought with her, and the air is as how the book began. It is sad because of Sethe falling into depression. However, there is hope now that Denver has matured and Sethe is being looked after by Paul D and Denver.
"Authors set a tone or mood in literature by conveying an emotion/feeling or emotions/feelings through words."
The tone of the novel is not constant. In the past, at Sweet Home while Mr. Garner is alive, the tone is pleasant and happy, with Sethe and Halle marrying and Mr. Garner giving the slaves freedom to do almost whatever they want to do. Then, when Mr. Garner dies and Schoolteacher takes over the farm, the tone changes to brutal and horrifying with whipping of slaves and punishing them by forcing them to wear bits. This makes the reader feel sympathetic towards the slaves, because the farm went from satisfying and social to inhumane and heartless.
In the present, the setting has changed from Sweet Home to Bluestone Road 124, therefore the tone also changes. The tone is now depressing, dark, mystical, and it gives off a very somber atmosphere. This is because the sad ghost is haunting the house and Sethe keeps going back to the past, from which she has depressing memories, such as the boys stealing her milk and she and Halle were separated. The changes for a short period of time after Paul D. drove out the ghost. At this point in time, the tone is happy and carefree. This is when they go to the carnival and their shadows were holding hands. However, when they return from the carnival and finds Beloved sitting on their porch, the tone immediately changes back to being eerie. The reason why the tone changes, is because of the description the reader is given of Beloved. She is described as "Sopping wet and breathing shallow she spent those hours trying to negotiate the weight of her eyelids... Nobody saw her emerge or came accidentally by."
This tone continues as the story develops. There is a continuous mysterious aura about Beloved - as if we cannot figure her out. Her peculiar appearance (her baby smooth skin) and childish behaviour is confusing. There is something dark about Beloved as we soon suspect her of strangling Sethe in the Clearing. She also affects the other characters around her in a peculiar way. For example, she seduces Paul D and Denver is taken into this beautiful girl yet is often jealous of her.
The tone intensifies as we approach the climax - when the community gathered outside 124 to help Sethe from Beloved. The confusion (due to speculation of the identity of Beloved) and excitement of the community adds on to the suspense. the chapter abruptly ends when Sethe attacks Mr Bodwin with an ice-pick.
The tone changes just as suddenly as the previous chapter ended. The tone is now quiet, calmer, sad and hopeful. Beloved has vanished, thus discarding the mysterious tone she brought with her, and the air is as how the book began. It is sad because of Sethe falling into depression. However, there is hope now that Denver has matured and Sethe is being looked after by Paul D and Denver.